Press Release | Global Resilient Cities Network | Visa

Global Resilient Cities Network (GRCN), pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation, and Visa sign multi-year collaboration agreement. Collaboration targets urban ... PRESSRELEASES GlobalResilientCitiesNetworkandVisaTeamuptopropelresilienceanddigitaleconomiesforcitiesacrossLatinAmerica&theCaribbean GlobalResilientCitiesNetwork(GRCN),pioneeredbyTheRockefellerFoundation,andVisasignmulti-yearcollaborationagreement.CollaborationtargetsurbanmobilitychallengesfocusedinitiallyinLatinAmericaandCaribbeanregion.   AbuDhabi,UnitedArabEmiratesandMiami,FL,USA(February11,2020)–VisaandGRCNannouncedanagreementtodayatthe10thWorldUrbanForum(WUF)tocollaborateonaprogramtohelpcitiesdeploytechnologiesthatcanbuildandfurtherdigitaleconomiesacrossthe17LatinAmericanandCaribbeancitiesthatarepartoftheGlobalResilientCitiesNetwork. GRCN,pioneeredbyTheRockefellerFoundation,istheevolutionoftheformer100ResilientCitiesprogramandaimstohelpcitiesbecomemoreresilienttothephysical,socialandeconomicchallengesofthe21stcentury.ThecollaborativeworkbetweenVisaandGRCNwillsupportcitiestodeveloptherightdigitalinfrastructureaspartoftheirresiliencestrategy,withaspecialfocusonurbanmobilityasacatalysttoacceleratethesechanges.   “VisarecognizesLatinAmericanandCaribbeancities,governments,transitoperatorsandotherplayersintheurbanmobilityecosystemarelookingtocreateefficient,seamless,andsustainablesystemstoimprovethedailyjourneysofcommutersandvisitors,”saidEduardoCoello,PresidentofVisaLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean.“ThisagreementwithGRCNunderscoresourcommitmenttourbanmobilityandVisa’sroleinpromotingthebestdigitalpaymentsolutionstotacklepressingissuesincities.Drivenbycities’challengesandenabledbynewtechnologicalpossibilities,fast,easyandsecurepaymentsarechangingthewaywetravel,howwemovewithinacity,andthewayweshopandwork.” Greenhousegasemissionsfromtransportareontracktodoubleby2050.Passengervehiclesaccountfor70%ofthoseemissionsandabout50%ofurbanairpollution.1Increasingmulti-modalmobility,especiallypublictransitandmicro-mobilityoptions,iskeytobringingthesenumbersdown. Atthesametime,citiesareexperiencingexplosivegrowth.About85%ofLatinAmericansliveincitiestoday,apercentageexpectedtogrowto90%overthenext30years2andtravelisbecomingmorecumbersome.Buildingefficient,interoperablesystemstomovearoundandwithinurbancentersiscriticaltocreatingresilientcities,andinstitutingfast,easy,securepaymentsbasedonglobalstandardsisoneofthebestwaystoencourageridershipandboosteconomicsustainability. Undertheagreement,VisaandGRCNwillworktogethertodefineopportunitiesfordigitaleconomicswithinGRCN’snetworkofcitiesandscalesolutionstohelpcitiesstrengthentheirresiliencestrategies.Theprogramwillfosteranopenandcollaborativeprogramamongallplayers:governments,publictransitoperators,fintechs,universitiesandotherstopromoteinnovationandexchangeknowledgethroughthenetwork.Programactivitieswillinclude:spearheadresearchandinsightthatcapturesthechallengesandopportunitieswithinindividualcities;developaresiliencechallengeworkshopforcitiestoidentify,openanddefinetheirhurdles;hostend-to-endin-marketintelligencefieldvisitstoselectedcities;createaturn-keyplaybookfortheurbanresilientdigitaleconomy;andorganizeanannualResilient&DigitalCitiesForum. Asaglobalpaymentsleader,Visaiscommittedtodeliveringbetterjourneysfortravelersandhelpingcitiesoperatemoreefficientlyandsustainably.AidaEstebanMillat,HeadofSmartCitiesandUrbanMobilityatVisaLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanadded,“Visacontinuestohelpcitiesenablenewpaymenttechnologyincludingtappingtopaywithcontactlesscardsanddevices,connectedcarpayments,enhancementstocurrentpublictransitsystemsandmobilityservices,allworkingincollaborationwithtechnologypartnerstocreatesolutionsthatimprovecommuterslivesandhelpcitiesparticipateinlargerdigitaleconomies.” Visaisengagedinurbanmobilityprojectsaroundtheworld,andinmultiplecitiesaroundLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean.Forinstance,VisarecentlylaunchedcontactlesspaymentsystemsinallofMetroRio’s41stations;acontactlesspilotacross12buslinesand200buseswithSaoPaulo’sbusoperator(SPTrans),withseveralotherprojectsunderwayinothercitiesincludingSantoDomingoandafewinMexico. “BuildingurbanresilienceinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanrequireslookingatacityholistically:understandingthesystemsthatmakeupthecityandtheinterdependenciesandriskstheymayface,”saidEugeneZapataGaresche,ManagingDirectorforLatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanatGRCN.“UrbanmobilityplaysanimportantroleinresilienceandwearepleasedtobecollaboratingwithanexperiencedpartnerlikeVisawherewecanbothleverageourglobalcapabilitiesandbringvaluetoscale.” TheGlobalResilientCitiesNetworkincludesthefollowing17citiesinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean:CiudadJuárez,Colima,MetropolitanGuadalajaraandMexicoCity(Mexico),SantiagodelosCaballerosinDominicanRepublic,SanJuaninPuertoRico,PanamaCity,CaliandMedellininColombia,QuitoinEcuador,Salvador,RiodeJaneiroandPortoAlegreinBrazil,MontevideoinUruguay,MetropolitanSantiagoinChileandSantaFeandBuenosAiresinArgentina.   AboutVisaInc. VisaInc.(NYSE:V)istheworld’sleaderindigitalpayments.Ourmissionistoconnecttheworldthroughthemostinnovative,reliableandsecurepaymentnetwork-enablingindividuals,businessesandeconomiestothrive.Ouradvancedglobalprocessingnetwork,VisaNet,providessecureandreliablepaymentsaroundtheworld,andiscapableofhandlingmorethan65,000transactionmessagesasecond.Thecompany’srelentlessfocusoninnovationisacatalystfortherapidgrowthofconnectedcommerceonanydevice,andadrivingforcebehindthedreamofacashlessfutureforeveryone,everywhere. Astheworldmovesfromanalogtodigital,Visaisapplyingourbrand,products,people,networkandscaletoreshapethefutureofcommerce.Formoreinformation,visitAboutVisa,visa.com/blog, @VisaNews.FornewsaboutLatinAmerica,visit@VisaNewsLatam.   AboutGRCN TheGlobalResilientCitiesNetwork(GRCN)isthecity-ledorganizationthatwilldriveurbanresilienceactiontoprotectvulnerablecommunitiesfromclimatechangeandotherphysical,socialandeconomicurbanadversitiesandchallenges.WithsupportfromTheRockefellerFoundationandotherfundingstrategicpartners,theNetworkaimstocontinuesupportingcitiesandtheirChiefResilienceOfficersinfuture-proofingtheircommunitiesandcriticalinfrastructurewithauniquereach,strengthandlegacytounderstandandsupportthechallengesoftheever-growingurbansociety. CloseModal 1https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/098/world-economic-forum-launches-global-new-mobility-coalition-to-cut-transport-emissions-by-95-and-reduce-commute-costs-by-40. 2https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/latin-america-cities-urbanization-infrastructure-failing-robert-muggah/     CloseModal Youmayalsobeinterestedin VisaandClipteamuptoacceleratedigitalpaymentacceptanceinMexico Expandingtheirexistingpartnership,companiessignastrategiccollaborationagreementtorevolutionizepaymentacceptanceandpromotefinancialinclusionamongbusinessesinthecountry. Learnmore CloseModal VisaPutsFutureofPaymentsintheSpotlightateMergeAmericas2018 JoinVisatoexperiencehownon-traditionalplayers–likefintechs,startupsanddevelopers–arecollaboratingwithtraditionalecosystemplayerstobuildthefutureofcommerce. Learnmore CloseModal VisaEverywhereInitiativeAnnouncesCulqiastheWinnerforLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean ThestartupfromLima,Peruwonwithaninnovativesolutionthataggregatesmultiplepaymentformsmakingiteasierforbusinessestoacceptpaymentswithasingleintegration.  Learnmore CloseModal VisalaunchesVisaLoyaltySolutions,thefirst100%digitalloyaltyplatforminLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean Inpartnershipwithnovae,VisaLoyaltySolutionshasmadeiteasierthanevertoearnandredeempointswithVisa,enablingconsumerstoexchangeloyaltypointsanytime,anywhereandfromanydevice. Learnmore CloseModal